Some are saying this will be the year of the WordPress Theme with the addition of the auto-load and update feature for Themes in WordPress 2.8, but I think it will be the year of the WordPress Plugin as so many are now exploring more Plugin options with the WordPress 2.7 search, auto-install, and update for WordPress Plugins. With the release of the new WordPress Widgets API and Validimir Prelovac’s new book, “WordPress Plugin Development Beginner’s Guide,” it’s time for WordPress Plugins and their authors to get the support and respect they deserve. Without them, how would our WordPress blogs survive?

As I prepare my weekly Blog Herald WordPress News, I collect a lot of tips and articles for and about WordPress Plugins. I will be moving those here to Lorelle on WordPress, publishing summaries of news and articles WordPress Plugin authors need to know on a fairly regular basis.

If you are a WordPress Plugin fan, there will be a ton of great information here, too.

WordPress Plugin Checkoff List

It is a checklist to follow when reviewing or coding a new WordPress Plugin. Print this checklist out when preparing their Plugin for public release, as well as the recommendations I made in my own list for WordPress Plugin authors and you will make WordPress fans around the world love and adore you.

WordPress Plugin Developer Center

It is a general guide on how WordPress hosts WordPress Plugins and how to get your Plugin into the directory.

Not all WordPress Plugins are found in the directory, but all WordPress Plugins found through the new built-in WordPress Plugin search and install feature in WordPress 2.7+ are found only within the Directory.

To get into the WordPress Plugin Directory, there are a few requirements.

Automatically Generate WordPress Plugin Readme Files

Check out the news WPEngineer wrote about with the new WordPress Plugin Readme File Generator by Sudar Muthu. This Plugin automatically creates and validates readme files for WordPress Plugins. Many WordPress Plugins need to have instructions to help users install and use them, so this is a very useful tool for the WordPress Plugin author.

So far, he’s created or updated Admin Per Page Limits WordPress Plugin to control the number of posts per page, pages per page, and comments per page that appear in the Administration Panel listings of posts, pages, and comments; Restrict Usernames WordPress Plugin to restrict the usernames that new users may use when registering with your WordPress blog; Linkify Categories to turn a string, list, or array of category IDs and/or slugs into a list of links to those categories; Linkify Tags to convert a list of tag IDs and/or slugs into a list of links to those tags; Disable Search to turn off the search capabilities of the native WordPress search; and Configure SMTP updated for configuring SMTP mailing in WordPress with support to send email via SSL/TLS (like Gmail), with more on the way.

Top Niche WordPress Plugins

The Top WordPress Plugin Niches by W-Shadow is a list based upon the top 100 most downloaded WordPress Plugins to determine their “niche” categories. It’s an interesting look at the types of Plugins most WordPress users desire and use.

Highlights of WordPress Plugin Tips and Techniques

Here are some past goodies to warm you up. Some of these related to older versions of WordPress, but don’t discount them. There are invaluable lessons to be learned from such articles. The topics cover a wide range of WordPress-specific tips and techniques for Plugin and Theme developers, as well as PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, AJAX, and jQuery.

and I think you would be the first one to sign up to wear the WordPress mascot costume (YES Matt should get one.).

I have A LOT of WordPress plugins, I think I only do not use 2 which I will eventually delete them, it’s sunday which is my day of rest.

I hate the fact that when I delete the plugins (ftp or de-activate and delete) that their database entries do not get deleted. That should be mandatory.

My favourite plugin would have to be AUDIO PLAYER (I use it to play an mp3 file of my posts so people with visual issues can listen to my post), Theme Authencity Checker (it checkes if there is malicious code in themes) and WP125 (I love 125 x 125 ads so this way I can do it and I can put a time when it comes down, all automatic).

@Miroslav: I believe that the discussion of uninstalling WordPress Plugins was last year and some Plugins come with an uninstall option now. You’ll have to talk to Matt Mullenweg about the PJs, pillow covers, and soap. The rest are popular schwag at WordCamps. :D

You can delete this comment Lorelle, just an FYI. In “Highlights” list, you have two entries from “Nettus”. Should be NetTuts, or net.tuts, or net.tuts+ … um … not really sure if they have a ‘correct’ way of spelling it.

I love your WordPress plugin passion. Most beginner bloggers have no idea what a plugin is or why they are so important. So thank you for sharing all of your knowlege with us. It is greatly appreicated.
Tom Troughton

[…] WordPress Plugins News: Coffee2Code Plugin Marathon, Plugin Podcast, Plugin Developer Center, Plugin… Here are some past goodies to warm you up. Some of these related to older versions of WordPress, but don’t discount them. There are invaluable lessons to be learned from such articles. The topics cover a wide range of WordPress-specific tips and techniques for Plugin and Theme developers, as well as PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, AJAX, and jQuery. […]